


I can hear the bells

by TheArtificialDane



Series: The Brightest Timeline [56]
Category: RuPaul's Drag Race (US) RPF
Genre: M/M, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:26:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28814121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArtificialDane/pseuds/TheArtificialDane
Summary: “There’s no reason to be so nervous Brockie.” Ange looked at him, a kind expression in her eyes. “It’s just a proposal.”“I know,” Brooke sighed, “but it’s not just- It’s not just a proposal.“***Brooke is finally ready to propose to Vanjie after more than 6 years together, but how will it go, and does the perfect proposal even exist?
Relationships: Brooke Lynn Hytes/Vanessa Vanjie Mateo
Series: The Brightest Timeline [56]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1400260
Comments: 29
Kudos: 58





	1. Chapter 1

“Mmh.” Brooke woke up slowly, his body wonderfully relaxed. He could smell the warm wood of his sun chair as well as the faint chlorine from the rooftop pool, the sounds of Vanjie’s voice and Max’s delighted shrikes carrying through the air. 

Brooke loved Cape Town, the weather absolutely perfect for the Canadian sensibilities that had never completely left him.

“Well well well,” Brooke cracked an eye open to look over at Ange who was watching him from her own sun chair, a shit eating grin on her face. “Look at you. Welcome back sleepyhead.”

“Look at me.” Brooke chuckled. “Am I burnt?”

“Of course not, I got you.” Angela smiled, putting down her magazine and Brooke was reminded of how absolutely stunning she was. 

Ange’s blonde hair was spilling down her shoulders, thick and healthy, her skin practically glowing as she was lying there in her orange bikini, her pregnant belly poking out like it’s own little hill.

Brooke had been so excited when Angela had called to tell him that she was pregnant with Max’s little sister, Vanjie yelling so loudly at the news that Riley had run to hide under their bed.

The first time they had been in Cape Town, Brooke and Vanjie had stayed in a hotel since Max was still a newborn, but on this visit, both Ange and Justin had insisted that they had to stay with them, their guest room as luxurious as any hotel.

“So, now that you’re awake and we’re alone-“ Ange pushed her sunglasses into her hair, her grey eyes twinkling with mischief, “have you decided how you’re going to-”

“Ange!” Brooke reached out in a panic, slapping her thigh.

“Ow!” Ange yelped, her mouth falling open in mock shock. “Brock!”

“You can’t say, what if he-“ Brooke wanted to look over at Vanjie, wanted to make sure they hadn’t been heard, but he didn’t want to draw attention to them. It was typical of Angela to jump right in, to ambush him with emotions when he was least expecting it.

“Please,” Angela was rubbing her leg, rolling her eyes. “He’s busy.”

Ange titled her, and Brooke sat up on his elbow, looking over his shoulder to where Max and Vanjie were playing in the pool. They were on their way to take yet another turn on the waterslide, Max’s little legs carrying him as fast as they could, so he could sit in Vanjie’s arms as they slid down again and again and again.

“Right.” Brooke flopped down on his back, looking up at the clear blue sky. “Sorry.”

“I’ll accept your apology.” Angela smiled, “but only because I know how much this has to be fucking with your head.”

Brooke snorted. It was more than 6 years since he and Vanjie had kissed for the first time, since he had stood in that elevator and pulled the other man close, and yet-

“There’s no reason to be so nervous Brockie.” Angela looked at him, a kind expression in her eyes. “It’s just a proposal.”

“I know,” Brooke sighed, “but it’s not just- It’s not just a proposal.“

Hearing or saying the word still made his stomach turn, a part of him still ready to run for the hill whenever he thought about the fact that he was actually going to propose to his boyfriend.

“He’s ready for you Brock.”

Brooke knew that Vanjie had been ready to marry for years, knew that Vanjie had dreamed about getting a ring ever since they had first laid eyes on each other.

“I promise you that.”

///

“Here you go little man.” Vanjie handed Max a glass of water, the boy grabbing it with both hands to take a big sip. “You thirsty, huh?” Vanjie chuckled, running a hand through Max’s white blonde hair.

“He’d be 99% water if I let him,” Angela smiled, lifting her elbow as her empty lunch plate was taken away by a member of staff, and exchanged with bowls of freshly cut fruit.

Vanjie knew that Justin was doing well with his business, but it was still wild to see exactly how well Brooke’s best friend was doing, the whole thing straight out of Real Housewives.

“Better than 99% Red Bull.”

“Hey!” Vanjie huffed, looking over at his smirking boyfriend. “I’ma a gross ass man, I can do whatever the fuck I-” Vanjie cut himself off, realising that he was once again swearing up a storm in front of a toddler, “... Want.”

Brooke and Angela both laughed, and Vanjie couldn’t help but smile himself. 

They were beautiful, sitting there side by side, Brooke’s blonde hair a delicious mess, his strong chest, long arms and muscles all on full display as he was leaning back in his chair.

Vanjie had managed to talk Brooke into taking pictures in the pool, and he couldn’t wait to share them on his socials, bragging about his man one of his favorite hobbies.

“Well, dig in,” Angela gestured to the fruit, and Brooke did just that, picking out a few fruits for for himself that Vanjie didn’t recognise while Angela grabbed an orange, ready to pull the peel off for Max.

“Damn Ange,” Vanjie skipped the fruit, instead reaching for another bottle of coke, “you really know how to live life.”

Anywhere else in the world, Vanjie was only interested in soda if he could mix it up with alcohol, but there was something about Cape Town that just made him crave the sugar, few things as delicious as an icy cold bottle of coca cola. 

“Only the best for my boys,” Angela smiled, handing her son the orange. 

Vanjie smiled, taking a sip of his drink as he watched Brooke watch Max, his boyfriend utterly focused on the little boy, his normal smile on his lips.

He couldn’t exactly put his finger on it, but ever since they had arrived, he had felt like Brooke had been acting a little weird, not too weird, just, weird, jumpy.

Vanjie wasn’t sure if it was because he had mentioned how nice the house was when they had arrived, the remodeling Angela and Justin had done since the last time they visited really pushing the already great property over the line to fucking amazing.

It wasn’t something they fought about a lot, but with all of their pets, their ever expanding wardrobes and work commitments, their apartment had started to not only feel, but also actually be a little too small.

Vanjie dreamed of a house with a pool and a garden, dreamed of moving to the growing community of Drag Queens who had settled outside of the city, but Brooke didn’t appear to be interested at all.

Getting Brooke to do anything that broke his routine was an absolute pain, and while Vanjie would love to move, he didn’t want it at the expense of Brooke’s happiness, least of all when he remembered back to how hard it had been to even convince Brooke to move to L.A in the first place.

No. Vanjie had to make Brooke believe that he was completely content and happy with their apartment and their life just as it was, no matter what it took, their relationship more than worth it.

///

Brooke stepped out of the bathroom, a towel over his head as he was drying his hair. 

They had broken up after lunch, Angela going in to put Max down for his nap, while Brooke and Vanjie had returned to their own rooms.

Brooke had nearly dropped his jaw when Justin had shown them where they’d be staying. He had expected a guest room, and maybe a bath, but what he hadn’t expected was how luxurious it was. 

The bedroom was so big they had their own TV and couch, a small walk in closet to the side, the bathroom an absolute dream that even had its own rain shower, Angela laughing in delight at how surprised he had been at the touch.

Brooke grinned as he spotted Vanjie’s blue swim trunks on the floor, Brooke practically yanking them off his boyfriend as soon as he had shut the door to their rooms and throwing them over his shoulder. 

He hadn’t planned to fuck, but he hadn’t been able to keep his hands to himself, Vanjie’s perfect ass practically begging to be slapped with a towel as they had walked to their rooms, the hit turning into a wrestling match and rutting on the floor. 

Brooke bent down, picking Vanjie’s trunks up, a smile still on his lips as he dumped everything in the laundry basket, the housekeeper coming by in the morning to pick everything up.

He stretched, running a hand through his hair as he made his way over to his suitcase. He had only meant to grab a pair of sweats, to get ready to settle down for a while and maybe read or watch TV, but as he opened his suitcase, his eyes fell on a ball of bunched up tennis socks.

He could hear the blow dryer, hear Vanjie sing to himself as he fixed his hair, Ange’s words still rummaging around in his head.

He grabbed the ball, taking the chance to take a look at the ring, a red velvet box popping out of the socks. 

Brooke knew it wasn’t very romantic to hide the ring he was going to propose with in a pair of tennis socks, but it was the only item of clothing he was sure Vanjie wouldn’t steal from him, his boyfriend always acting like Brooke’s wardrobe was simply an extension of his own.

He took another moment to listen, the blow dryer still going, so he carefully opened the box, a small smile blooming on his lips as he was greeted with the sight of a simple, elegant, thick gold band, just like the ones Patrick gave David in Schitt’s Creek.

Brooke was sure that Vanjie would love nothing more than a gigantic diamond ring he could also wear with drag, but Brooke had wanted to get a design he knew they could both wear, an identical one for himself under the little pillow Vanjie’s ring was resting on, so people could see that they matched.

He wasn’t exactly proud of the fact that the thought of a wedding made his heart speed up, anxiety swirling around in his body if he even tried to imagine the day itself, so identical engagement rings it was, since they’d most likely be wearing them for a while.

“What’cha doing?”

“Fuck!” Brooke jumped, nearly throwing the box over his head in pure surprise. He spun around, hiding it behind his back, snapping it shut, only to see Vanjie standing there.

“Hey stud,” Vanjie took a step forward, a smile on his lips, getting all up in Brooke’s space.

“Don’t sneak up on me like that Papi.” Brooke quickly put the box down in his suitcase, grabbing a sweater to pull on top. 

“Why you acting?” Vanjie looked up at him, his arms going around his middle. “You hiding something?” 

“No.”

“Come on, you can tell-” Vanjie tried to look behind his back, tried to take a peek into Brooke’s suitcase, but Brooke grabbed him quickly, fingers digging into naked hips.

“No.” Brooke took a step forward, leading Vanjie away from the suitcase, his heart hammering in his chest. “No.”

They had just had sex, so he couldn’t exactly throw Vanjie down on the bed to distract him, but maybe he could kiss-

“You just said no three entire times.” Vanjie raised an eyebrow, running a hand up Brooke’s side. “That real incanspix.”

“Inconspicuous.” Brooke tightened his grip on Vanjie’s hips.

“Whatever,” Vanjie rolled his eyes. “If you wanna be weird, be weird.” Vanjie got up on his toes, planting a kiss on Brooke’s lips, “but I’ma decide what we watching on the TV, cause you acting up a storm. I found this show ‘bout apartment remodels, and I betcha you gonna love it.”

///

“Hurry up big guy!”

“Shut the fuck up!” Vanjie swore he was seconds away from puking, following behind his boyfriend a whole lot harder than he had imagined, the hill crazy steep, the only thing almost making it worth it was the sight of Brooke’s ass in sinfully tight sweats.

When Brooke had suggested that they’d go for a morning hike to watch the sunset back in L.A, Vanjie had figured that it’d be fun, that it’d be a nice little couples activity, but now that he was in it, he was regretting everything.

He always forgot how awake Brooke was in the morning, his boyfriend actually waking up before the alarm, Brooke ready to go before Vanjie had even rolled out of bed.

“Come on,” Brooke smiled, the asshole actually slowing down to walk at Vanjie’s pace, adding insult to injury as he put his hand between Vanjie’s shoulder blades, pushing him forward. “we’re almost there.” 

///

“Over here!” Brooke smiled, waving Vanjie over as he pulled the backpack from his shoulders. They were at Lion’s Head, all of Cape Town stretching out underneath them, the sun almost ready to make it’s way over the horisont. 

“Shit,” Vanjie moaned, sitting down on a rock, instantly grabbing the bottle of water Brooke handed him, taking a gip gulp.

“See?” Brooke sat down, putting his arm around Vanjie, “wasn’t so bad?”

When he lived in Cape Town, he used to come here all the time with Angela. It was both free exercise, and they could avoid the other dancers at the gym. He had so many great memories from the place, and he couldn’t wait to add another one to the pile, the ring box practically burning in his pocket.

“Watch your fucking mouth,” Vanjie groaned, but he still leaned against Brooke’s side, resting his head on his shoulder. “Guess it’s kinda pretty.”

“Mmh?” Brooke grinned, pressing a kiss against Vanjie’s temple. 

Brooke was more nervous than he had been in years, his palms sweating, his heart beating away over the task he had to complete, and still, he was laughing, the smile a testament to how great Vanjie actually was.

“You want some water?” Vanjie held the bottle up, his hair slightly sweaty, a sweet expression of his face.

“Actually,” Brooke bit his lip. This was them. Them at their core, in gym clothes and sweat, both of them the men they’d always be. 

“The sun’s about to come up,” Brooke stood up, “I-” he reached into his pocket, “José, I- Since the day-”

“Oh Kathrine!” Brooke was cut off as a loud woman’s voice echoed out, a group of elderly british tourists with sunhats and fanny packs suddenly spilled out from the top of the trail. “Look at that darling sunrise!” 

**_Fuck_ **


	2. Chapter 2

“And what happened then?” Justin looked at Brooke, eyes wide, his arms crossed.

“Well the moment had passed,” Brooke sighed. “I wasn’t going to propose with a pack of strangers around.”

“Right.” Justin nodded, his breakfast halfway forgotten in front of him. 

“And then what?” Angela was chewing her lip, a worried frown on her face.

Brooke, Justin and Ange were all sitting at the breakfast table, Vanjie thankfully going straight upstairs for a nap as soon as they had come home, yelling over his shoulder that he didn’t want breakfast, Max with his nanny.

“We watched the sunrise, took some pics and came back home.”

It had been heartbreaking to come back to the house, the table decked with everything he could dream of, Justin and Ange so clearly prepared to celebrate them.

“Oh Brockie.” Ange reached over the table, taking his hand in hers, and it took real effort for Brooke not to start cry, Angela as always reaching directly into the most vulnerable parts of him, touching him where it hurt the most. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Brooke sat up straight, trying to shake the sadness off, their fingers still intertwined. “I mean, at least I didn’t have the fucking ring out.”

“Thank god.” Justin tried to smile, the sincerity clear in his eyes. “Would’ve been hard to explain.”

“Justin,” Angela shot him a look, clearly telling him to shut up. “Not now.”

“Right,” Justin looked at Brooke, “Right. Sorry.” He scrunched up his nose, quickly wiping his mouth with a napkin. “I better get to work.” 

Justin got up from his chair, pressing a quick kiss into Angela’s hair, giving Brooke’s shoulder a squeeze as he made his way past them both. “See you later.”

“Fuck,” Brooke groaned, hiding his head in his hands, nearly knocking over a jug of freshly squeezed juice. “This is terrible.”

“No, no no no,” Angela got up, making her way around the table as quickly as her belly allowed her, sitting down next to Brooke and pulling him into a half hug. “Don’t be so sad darling.” 

“I’m not sad.” Brooke mumbled, though he kept his head in his hands, refusing to look up at Angela.

“Sure.” Ange pressed a kiss to his temple, and Brooke couldn’t help but smile, the fact that he had people in his life who were as kind as Justin and Angela truly a gift. 

“You know,” Brooke looked over at Angela, her grey eyes focused on him as she spoke, “sometimes, things go wrong-”

Brooke winched, the embarrassment overwhelming him once again. It had truly been terrible to stand there, to look and feel like such a fucking idiot.

“-and sure,” Angela stroked his back, not caring that he was still in his sweaty hiking gear, “the proposal wasn’t perfect on the first go-

“You’re saying it like there’ll be a second.”

“Brock Hayhoe!” Angela gasped, genuine offence clear on her face. “Don’t you dare give me that attitude-!”

“Okay, okay, shit, sorry” Brooke held up his hands, knowing that a true Ange storm was on its way, her disappointment somehow worse than when Vanjie got going. “I just-”

Brooke knew he had to sound like a lost little kid, knew he felt like a lost little kid.

“What do I do now?”

“Propose again?” Angela smiled, and Brooke knew where she was coming from, knew she said it with a kind heart, but it felt impossible.

“I can’t just, I can’t just propose again doing whatever, it has to be amazing, it has to-” Brooke took a deep breath. 

He knew he was a perfectionist, knew he had a tendency to be overly obsessive about details that seemed insignificant to everyone else, but for once, his perfectionism wasn’t about his own performance.

“You don’t know José like I do.” Brooke sighed, not commenting on Angela’s raised eyebrow and her ‘of course I don’t’ expression. 

“He’s been dreaming about getting married since he was a kid, having all of that, he’s been dreaming about that life, and this, this fucking proposal-” Brooke reached for a croissant, taking a big bite out of it, the chocolate helping a little with his swirling emotions and nagging anxiety. 

“He’s going to remember this forever. It needs to be perfect."

Brooke was well aware that his hiking proposal wasn’t actually perfect, had known right from the start that Vanjie would most likely not love being made to trek up a hill, but it had been the best thing he could think of, and now, he didn’t even have that.

“Nothing in life is perfect Brock,” Angela moved closer to him, twisting her body, her belly practically bumping against his elbow as she rested her head on his shoulder. 

“You keep the ring on you, and I’m sure you’ll think of something.” Angela smiled, squeezing him tight. “Thankfully, Cape Town is very romantic.”

Brooke snorted, leaning his head against his best friend, the two of them sitting together, Brooke’s brain working overtime.

///

“Damn stud!” Vanjie shouted, whistling at his boyfriend. He was sitting on his knees in the sand, taking pictures of Brooke. “You fine as fuck!”

Brooke laughed, and Vanjie felt a quick rush of relief washing over him. Brooke had been strangely annoyed earlier, his boyfriend seemingly genuinely upset about the hike, so Vanjie was just happy that Brooke had wanted to go to the beach, the fact that he was smiling the greatest comfort. 

“Keep the pose!” Vanjie titled his phone, making sure he got the best possible shot of Brooke, the sounds of the ocean in the background, the sun high in the sky.

Vanjie loved playing influencer, loved making sure that everyone at home was jealous of his damn near perfect life, and while taking photos wasn’t as good as getting his photos taken, taking them meant that he got to brag about Brooke. 

“Did you get it?” Brooke titled his sunglasses, a smile on his face, leaning against the cliff wall.

“Yes bitch!” Vanjie grinned, getting up and running over, letting Brooke catch him in his arms and turn him around, his back against his chest. “Look.”

Vanjie opened his camera app, a grin on his lips as he scrolled through the photos. Brooke looked like sex on legs in his tight yellow speedos, his skin slick with sunscreen, his hair wet and curly with salty ocean water.

“They good?”

“Mmh,” Brooke smiled, kissing his cheek. “Too bad we didn’t bring drag.”

“Nah,” Vanjie twisted his head, looking up at Brooke, “this a vacation for us.”

“If you say so,” Brooke kissed his lips, and for a second, just a second, Vanjie saw the weird sadness in Brooke’s eyes, the expression gone as quickly as it had arrived. “Let’s go back to the towels.”

“As if,” Vanjie pressed back, trapping Brooke behind him as he grabbed the arm that was around him. “We’re hot as shit, and I ain’t leaving without some couple photos.”

Brooke laughed, and Vanjie quickly opened the camera, taking a picture of the two of them together.

///

Brooke was feeling better as he made his way back towards their towels, the fanny pack he had dumped in the sand for pictures once again across his chest, the ring box safely inside, his fingers tight on the strap.

It was a beautiful day, Vanjie’s idea of going to the beach the exact thing Brooke needed to get out of his proposal funk. Angela’s chef had packed them a basket of picnic food, Angela sneaking a miniature bottle of champagne into his backpack with a smile and a ‘just in case’.

“Hurry up!” Vanjie yelled, waving at him. “The food’s gonna be hot as fuck!”

“I’m coming, I’m coming.”

Brooke smiled as he watched Vanjie who sprinted down the beach, his boyfriend practically radiating happiness. They had played in the ocean, not going all the way in, the water almost warm enough and they had even found a few seashells, Vanjie giving him an extra large piece of seaglass to give to Max when they got back.

Brooke hadn’t realised that Vanjie had stopped, practically bumping into his boyfriend.

“Wha-” Brooke looked down, only to see Vanjie smiling up at him. “What’re you doing?”

“You waited for me this morning,” Vanjie reached out, taking his hand, “Now I’ma wait for you.”

“Oh.” Brooke tightened his grip on Vanjie’s hand, their fingers intertwined as they started walking again, Vanjie happily chatting away.

They had left their backpacks behind, hidden amongst the rocks, the stones almost giving them a sense of privacy.

Actually.

Speaking of privacy.

Brooke pushed his sunglasses into his hair, looking to his right, and then his left, his heart skipping a beat when he realised that they were practically alone, the only other people on the beach miles away.

Vanjie was still holding his hand, and while it wasn’t like in the movies, while this wasn’t a situation Brooke had agnosied over for days, this was them, a day of spending time together and doing something they both enjoyed.

“José.” Brooke stopped moving, Vanjie being put to a stop as well.

“What?” Vanjie looked up at him, brow raised. “We almost back and I’m thirsty.” Vanjie pulled, clearly trying to get Brooke to walk with him, but Brooke tightened his grip, holding him back.

“Wait, just, wait a second.” Brooke couldn’t believe he was doing it, couldn’t believe it was happening here, but it felt right.

“I want,” Brooke took a step forward, pressing Vanjie up against one of the rocks, making sure they were out of view, since he refused a repeat of the mornings mishaps. “Let me just-”

“You serious?” Vanjie was looking up at him, eyes wide, his mouth slightly open. “Here?”

“José, I-” Brooke let go of Vanjie’s hand, getting down on his knees, both of them hitting the sand, but he could fix that once he got the ring. “I-” He reached for the fanny pack, reaching for the box. “Will you-”

“Fine. If you asking that polite, it fine.”

Brooke paused, completely surprised by the fact that Vanjie had not only interrupted him, but had also apparently just said yes to his proposal with a ‘fine’ instead of a resounding yes.

“What?”

“If you wanna bang,” Vanjie reached out, running his hand through Brooke’s hair, pushing his hips forward so they bumped against Brooke’s chest. “We can bang, but I ain’t getting down in the sand.”

///

“So, explain to me again.” Angela looked in the mirror, her eyes finding her best friend who was sitting on the bench behind her, both of them in her bathroom as she was getting ready for bed. “How does a proposal end up with you having no fiance, and sand up your crack?”

“I didn’t get sand up my-” Brooke huffed, a bottle of beer in his hand, and Angela had to hide a smile as she wiped her cleanser off of her skin. “It was just blowjobs, we didn’t-” Brooke groaned, clearly giving up on explaining himself. “You don’t have to rub it in.”

“At least you got to rub off.” Angela grinned, watching as Brooke flipped her off in the mirror.

“Oh fuck off.”

She hadn’t expected him to come join her as she got ready for bed, but it was nice to spend this time with her best friend, nice to chat with him as she brushed her hair out and finished her skin care routine, being together like this so reminiscent of the time they lived together. 

“Ange, I have no idea what to do,” Brooke sighed, leaning back to rest his head against the wall, how defeated he was hurting her heart, since she genuinely loved him like a brother. “This whole thing is so hard.”

“You’ll think of something.” Angela knew Brooke had to work through this on his own, but she had to agree, Brooke truly not having the best of luck.

“Can’t you just propose for me?”

“Hey,” Angela knew that Brooke was whining, knew that he hadn’t really given up, but it was getting dangerously close, and she refused to let her best friend leave without proposing to his boyfriend, even if it killed him in the process. “Where’s the man from this morning who said it had to be perfect?”

“He died on the beach.” Brooke groaned, his eyes still closed “died with a dick in his mouth.”

“Brock!” Angela snorted, nearly dropping her bottle of serum in surprise. “Please. You should just be lucky no one saw you.”

“Well,” Brooke cracked an eye open, “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“What?” Angela gasped, her jaw dropping. “Tell me everything!”

///

“Stud? You in here?” Vanjie pushed the door to Angela and Justin’s bedroom open, pausing for a second.

He had been watching TV with Justin in the living room, the two of them finishing up their wine. At home, Vanjie never had wine, but he liked drinking it with Ange and Justin, liked how they cared about pairing it up with the food and how they had fancy glasses for all the different types of wine. 

Vanjie knew he wasn’t moving to a house anytime soon, knew it wasn’t in the cards, but he had mentally added a wine rack to their new kitchen, having one so wonderfully decadent and grown up.

“Hello?” Vanjie didn’t want to intrude, but when he heard laughter, he walked in, instantly spotting Angela and Brooke in the master bathroom, the two of them in matching leopard bathrobes, Angela standing between Brooke’s legs, putting a facemask on him, her belly almost bumping him.

Vanjie felt the jealousy like a stab to his chest, his entire body burning hot with envy for one terrible moment. Vanjie didn’t mind that Brooke had friends, in fact, he loved that his boyfriend had people he loved, but sometimes, sometimes it was so hard to watch the special bonds he had with others, bonds where there was no space for him at all.

Vanjie was just about to turn around, when he got interrupted by the sound of his name.

“José!”

Angela had spotted him, a big smile on her face. “Come in, come in,” She gestured, waving him close. “You’re just in time for the spa treatment.” Ange held up the jar, her other hand back under Brooke’s jaw. “We’re doing seaweed and honey.”

“It’s not as gross as it sounds!”

“Not as gross as the story Brock is telling me about Miami!”

“What?!” Vanjie’s eyes widened, running into the bathroom, ready to beat his man up for telling a story they swore they’d keep to themselves.


	3. Chapter 3

“Hello,” Brooke looked over at Ange, a low groan coming from his best friend as she sat down. “Did you have a good nap?”

“Mmh.” Angela smiled, scooting back on the couch, her left hand resting on her belly, her thumb rubbing up and down. “Thanks.”

“I’m not the one to thank,” 

“Hmm?”

Ange had looked like she was barely staying awake at breakfast, so Brooke had ordered her back into bed as soon as Justin had left for work, reassuring her that everything would be fine. 

“Yup.” Brooke titled his head, gesturing towards the TV where Vanjie was sitting inches away from the screen with Max on his lap, the two of them watching Cars together, off in their own little world, Vanjie making car sounds and rolling Max around when they raced. 

“They’ve been looking for mice in the garden all morning."

“He’s too good for you.” Angela grinned, and while Brooke knew it was a joke, he couldn’t help but feel the words cut into him, his stomach clenching. 

“Right.”

“Oh Brockie,” Angela reached out, touching his arm. “I’m sorry, you know I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just-“ Ange lowered her voice, practically whispering. “You’re leaving soon and I know how much you wanted to get everything-”

“I know, I know-” 

Brooke considered if he should tell Ange that he had almost tried proposing in the shower last night just to get it done, even going as far as to take the ring into the bathroom, hiding it on a top shelf Vanjie couldn’t reach.

He had gone in and out of the shower, trying to make a decision, acting an absolute fool, Vanjie somehow not pointing it out, but he had ended up chickening out once again, the risk of accidentally dropping the ring down the drain too terrifying to him. 

“I want to, it’s just-” Brooke groaned, leaning his head against Angela’s shoulder. “God I hate proposing.”

“Men.” 

“Woman.”

Angela snorted, one of her hands finding his hair and running through his curls, the touch ever so comforting.

“Maybe you just need some help?”

“And who would provide that?” Brooke looked up at her, crossing his arms as he continued whispering.

“Well, me?” Ange grinned, pointing at herself.

“You?” Brooke raised an eyebrow. “Seriously?”

“Yes me. Don’t look like that,” Ange tucked on his hair, making Brooke chuckle. “Now show some faith in your best friend,” she pressed a kiss against Brooke’s forehead, “and let me handle it.”

///

Vanjie could feel Max’s soft breath against his neck, the little boy asleep in his arms as the ending credits were rolling over the screen. 

He had heard Ange come down from her nap, but Max had been so captivated by the movie that Vanjie hadn’t wanted to move, Brooke and Angela gossiping about something on the couch before she had left.

“Hot stuff?” Vanjie loved how big Max was getting, but right now, his legs were falling asleep. “Lil help here?”

Vanjie twisted his head, looking over his shoulder, only to see that Brooke had fallen asleep too, his man’s mouth hanging open, and Vanjie couldn’t help but giggle, wishing that he had his phone so he could take a photo.

It was nice to see Brooke nap, to see his man be so relaxed. Vanjie had hoped that the weirdness had died down after their day on the beach, but Brooke had been acting like a straight up lunatic last night in the shower, getting in, then out, then in again just to leave while refusing to share what he was up to, forcing Vanjie to yell at him to finish rinsing his hair. 

It had gotten so bad that Vanjie had started to wonder if Brooke had brought some kind of water-related sextoy along that he was too scared to show him. Brooke wasn’t really a toy shopper, Vanjie buying most of their collection while drunk, but his man was zipping his suitcase fully shut each time he wasn’t in the room which he had never done before, so he was clearly hiding something.

Vanjie pressed a kiss to Max’s hair, lifting the little boy up to try and sneak out from underneath him, his legs fully asleep.

It was a good thing he and Brooke had been together for so long, because pre-Drag Race Vanjie would have turned Brooke’s suitcase upside down and searched through their entire room. He still wanted to, of course he did, but he wasn’t going to, and Vanjie couldn’t help but feel proud of himself, his decision mature as fuck.

It wasn’t easy to fight his nature, wasn't easy to truly believe that Brooke wasn’t hiding anything bad, but if there was one thing he had learned, it was that it never made sense to rush Brooke when he got in a funk, no matter how tempting it was.

///

“Biiiitch! Look at this!” Vanjie twirled around, two identical suits in his hands, a gigantic grin on his face. “They matching!”

“What the-” Brooke looked around their room, two sets of dress shoes standing neatly against the wall. Brooke knew he was staring, but somehow, this wasn’t what he had imaginged when Angela said she’d fix everything. 

“Surprise!” Angela smiled, throwing her hands up, pushing Brooke into the room and closing the door behind her.

“So what’s the occasion Mama?”

“Well, I figured, since you’d be leaving soon,” Angela drawled, drawing out the suspense, clearly toying with Vanjie who looked like he was seconds away from passing out from excitement. Vanjie loved a good surprise, and if it was a fancy one, he was over the moon. “That we could go out tonight.”

“We going out?!” Vanjie nearly jumped, “Where?!”

“La Colombe, it’s this new restaurant downtown, very exclusive, very hard to get into, very strict dress code.” 

“So you rented us suits?” Brooke crossed his arms, raising a brow. 

“Fuck yes she did!” Vanjie grinned, his eyes sparkling. “She knew she couldn’t trust your hobo ass.”

“Hey-” Brooke protested, the argument that Vanjie bought most of his clothes at the tip of his tongue, but Ange cut him off with a hand on his arm.

“Only the best for my boys.” Angela looked up at Brooke, clearly telling him to shut up and let her plan unfold. It wasn’t a bad idea, the idea of mixing food into the proposal not even crossing Brooke’s mind since Vanjie was so picky, but he was clearly all aboard, shining like a miniature sun.

“This some James Bond kinda shit!”

“It is, isn’t it?” Angela smiled. “Now go get dressed. Grandma’s coming to stay with Max, and then we can all leave together.”

“Fuck yes!” Vanjie threw her a thumbs up and a smile, turning around to run towards the bathroom, Brooke already knowing that he’d have to open the windows later to air out the cologne clouds.

“Together?” Brooke felt utterly confused. Was Ange and Justin coming along? For his proposal to Vanjie. He turned, looking down, “Why- Ow!”

Brooke’s hand flew to his ass, Angela just pinching him so hard he swore it’d leave a mark. “Ow.”

“Yes together.” Angela said, putting her arm around his waist, giving him a half hug.“We wouldn’t want anything to go wrong tonight, would we?”

Oh. 

Right.

“Right.”

///

Vanjie was humming as he was fixing his hair, twisting it around his fingers to get the perfect waves. He loved the suit he was wearing, the cut of it almost frighteningly perfect, and he couldn’t wait to see Brooke in his matching one.

“Brock?” Vanjie called over his shoulder as he washed his hands, Brooke in the bedroom putting his shirt on. They still had about 15 minutes left, and Vanjie wanted to take selfies before they left since Brooke in a suit a treat he refused to miss out on documenting. 

“Yes?” Brooke poked his hand through the door, his fingers caught up in tying his tie, and Vanjie felt his heart skip a beat.

“Damn.” 

Brooke looked hot as fuck. The suit was a classic cut, crispy white shirt, black blazer, but Ange had included handkerchiefs for both of them, an orange cloth peeking out of Brooke’s pocket.

“Damn?” Brooke raised an eyebrow, tugging down on his black tie and adjusting it in place. “Damn what?”

“Damn you looking good,” Vanjie smirked, taking a step forward, getting into Brooke’s space, his man’s hands finding his hips like they were on autopilot, and Vanjie couldn’t help but grin. “This shit just like the wedding.”

“Wedding?” Brooke froze in place, his hands tightening. “What wedding?”

“What?” Vanjie pulled back, looking up at Brooke. “You already forgot your sister's wedding?” 

Vanjie had loved the wedding, the entire day one he knew he’d never forget, but it didn’t seem like Brooke was feeling the same way.

“Seriously?” Vanjie wanted to call Brooke out on acting like a psycho, but he held his tongue.

“No! No no,” Brooke breathed out, his entire body visibly relaxing, and Vanjie swallowed down the bitter pill, refusing to allow his evening to be spoiled by Brooke's persistent commitment phobia. “Of course not-”

“Cool.” Vanjie knew he could make it a fight, knew he could prod and probe, knew he could force Brooke to tell him why he was acting so weird, but sometimes, sometimes, relationships required shutting the fuck up.

“You lucky you hot stuff.” Vanjie got up on his toes, pressing a kiss to Brooke’s lips. “You real lucky.”

///

“Hey, Brock.”

Brooke had been just about to get out of the car, when he heard Angela’s voice calling for him, so he set back down.

They had just arrived at the restaurant, Vanjie already taking pictures of it with a huge grin on his face, though Brooke knew he wouldn’t post them until after they had left.

“Do you have the ring,” Ange twisted around to look at him, since she had been sitting in the front seat, their driver minding his own business, looking straight ahead.

“Of course?” Brooke knew his proposals hadn’t exactly gone smoothly so far, but he actually felt a little insulted that Angela could think that he would have forgotten it. “I have it right here,” Brooke pointed to his sock.

“What?” Ange looked at his sock, then his face, then his sock again. “Why?”

“Because I’m wearing a suit?” Brooke had no idea how it was a question, the sensation of Vanjie pressing sweet kisses against his neck still on his skin, his boyfriend glued to his side for the entire ride. “He’s touchy.” Brooke shrugged.

“Right.” Brooke could see that Angela was hiding a smile, her eyes sparkling in the very way they did whenever she found them equal parts ridiculous and adorable. “Give it to me.”

“Sur-” Brooke was just about to do it, when he realised what Angela had said. “Wait, what?” 

“How else is it going to end up in a glass of champagne?” Angela smiled, her hand still out. 

“You’re going to pop it in champagne?”

“Don’t tell me José wouldn’t love that?”

Brooke bit his lip, Angela absolutely right, but there were so many things that could go wrong. He looked at his best friend, looked into her blue eyes.

“Just trust me. Okay?”

///

Vanjie loved luxury, but this, this was some next level lux ass fancy shit. They had just finished their main course, the waitering staff carrying it away, dessert coming right up. 

Their table was absolutely beautiful, snow white cloth, a candelabra burning, the silverware so polished he could see himself in it. It had been shit trying to figure out what fork to use, so he had just copied Angela, her and Justin looking like they belonged at the restaurant. 

“You excited for desert?” Vanjie looked over at Brooke, his man fiddling with his napkin. “I bet it’s gonna taste amazing as fuck-”

“Papi-” Vanjie felt a hand under the table, cutting him off, Brooke smiling at him as he squeezed his knee.

“Oh shit. Right.” Vanjie grinned, Brooke groaning, but he didn’t look annoyed, his man more than used to his mouth. 

“No swearing at the bougie bitch restaurant.” Vanjie hadn’t meant to aggravate, to act out of line, but it was worth it to see Brooke look relaxed for a second, his man still weird and acting nervous, the breadbasket not even empty when it had left the table, which was a real reason for concern. Brooke never missed out on a good meal unless he was gearing up for a photoshoot, a pageant or TV, and since they were in South Africa, none of those things were on the schedule.

“Hey,” Vanjie closed his legs, catching Brooke’s hand between them, forcing Brooke to lean in. “You ok?” Vanjie wasn’t much of a whisperer, but he could be when he had to, Brooke freezing in place once again. “You acting weird boo.”

“I’m not being weird.” Brooke snapped, hissing out between his teeth. “Just, act cool.” Brooke pulled on his hand, getting it back even though Vanjie wanted to continue the discussion, just as a new waiter came up to their table.

“Hello everyone.”

“Hello.” Angela smiled brightly, Vanjie noticing now that the waiter was carrying a tray of champagne glasses.

“Damn, that for us?”

The waiter looked down at Vanjie, his eyes narrowing for a split second, and Vanjie realised that he had just cursed again, Angela and Justin giggling while Brooke looked like he wanted to jump out the window. 

“Shit.” Vanjie didn’t like the waiter, the asshole giving him that tightlipped white lady smile earlier in the night when he had misread the menu, and another one when he had apparently used his napkin wrong. “Sorry man.”

“No problem.” The waiter smiled, putting the champagne glasses down, even putting one by Ange, something weird and golden in the bottom of her glass.

“Hey-” Brooke made to stand up, reaching over the table to take Angela’s glass, but Vanjie grabbed the end of Brooke’s blazer, tugging on it.

“Hey-” Brooke swallowed his outburst, looking at Vanjie. “What’d you do that for-”

Vanjie titled his head towards the waiter, who very pointedly ignored him. The old him would have kicked up a fuss, and if he was being honest, he would probably have dropped something on the floor just to act out, but he was an adult now, and he could behave at a tiny portion place. Sure, it wasn’t great that the waiter had just given alcohol to a pregnant lady, but Vanjie wasn’t going to kick up a fuss, and who cared when the mixup only meant that there would be more for him later, free stuff free stuff no matter where in the world they were.

Vanjie didn’t catch Angela and Brooke looking at each other as the waiter left, panic clear in Brooke’s face.

“Well,” Vanjie raised his glass. “Cheers everyone!” He grinned, putting the glass to his lips, drowning it all in one go.

///

“Hey man.” Justin leaned against the wall, the two of them out in the smokers yard. Brooke wasn’t proud, but he had been forced to make his escape from the table to save face, his heart breaking when he realised that his proposal had gone wrong once again.

“Hey.” Brooke tried to smile, but he couldn’t. He still had no idea what he’d say to Vanjie when he returned to the table, the fake phone call he had pulled out of his ass not his most elegant escape.

“I’m really sorry about what happened.” Justin didn’t look at him, and Brooke felt lucky at the fact that it wasn’t Angela, or even worse José that had come out, since he knew both of them would have forced him to make eye contact. “They asked me who I was here with and I said Ange because I didn’t think, and now everything’s-”

“You don’t have to explain.”

“I have the ring.” Brooke looked out of the corner of his eye, Justin reaching into his pocket to pull the gold band out. “Sorry it’s a little sticky.”

“It’s okay,” Brooke sighed while taking it. Justin and Angela had quickly switched their glasses, Justin chucking his together with Vanjie. 

“It’s not.” Justin bit his lip, taking a deep breath. “I should have made sure they knew exactly what they were doing, and I didn’t-”

“Justin,” Brooke cut him off. “It’s okay. I just-” He closed his eyes, breathing in. “It’s just not meant to happen.”

“Don’t say that.” Brooke could feel the warmth from Justin, their shoulders almost touching. “You know, when I proposed to Ange, it didn’t exactly happen how I had imagined it either, I know it sounds idyllic when she tells it-”

Brooke smiled. He had heard the story from Angela more times than he could count, Justin proposing to her during a picnic at sea on the first boat he had bought himself.

“But I was shitting bricks, the strawberries hadn’t shown up, I almost took a wrong turn getting there and I don’t even think I actually said the words ‘will you marry me’, but, you know-” Justin looked over at Brooke. “I could have given up, called it off, pulled the plug, but I didn’t. Sometimes, sometimes, it’s not how you propose, but the fact that you do it, and if I’m being honest.” Justin bumped his shoulder. “I think José is a just do it guy over a perfect but it never happens guy.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to all of you for following along with this story!

“Mmmh,” Vanjie smiled, twisting one of Brooke’s curls around his fingers, his boyfriend lying on his chest. They had traded handjobs as soon as they had gotten back from the restaurant, Brooke hissing at Vanjie to be careful as he had tried to stuff his hands into his pants.

They were naked and sweaty, Vanjie tingly and relaxed, Brooke dumping down on top of him after he had gone to pick up a washcloth.

“You know-” Vanjie ran his fingers through Brooke’s curls. “You starting to look like a whole ass viking,” They had been in Cape Town for the better part of a week, Brooke’s skin his version of tan, his hair taking the whiter tint it always did when it got enough sun.

“It a look.” Vanjie smirked, wondering if he should go in for round two, Brooke’s soft dick against his thigh. “A real sexy look.”

“Whatever Papi.”

Vanjie paused, equal parts surprised and offended at Brooke’s dismissal, his boyfriend not even looking at him.

“Oh hell no!” Vanjie sat up, Brooke rolling off of him.

“Wha-” Brooke’s eyes widened as he tumbled down. “Hey-”

“No! Nu-uh” Vanjie leaned against the headboard, Brooke lying next to him on his side. “You’ve been acting wack, and I can’t take it no more.”

“José-” Brooke reached out, his hand touching Vanjie’s stomach, a strange expression in his blue eyes. “Let’s not do this-”

“You don’t get to be cute-” Vanjie took Brooke’s hand.

“You think I’m cute?” Brooke smirked, clearly trying to diffuse the situation, but Vanjie wasn’t going to let him.

“Bitch,” Vanjie groaned. “Tell me what the fucks wrong with you.”

“It’s-” Brooke bit his lip, and Vanjie felt his stomach clench. He hoped he had been wrong, had hoped he had only imagined how weird Brooke had been, but it seemed like he was onto something. “It’s nothing.”

“Well that a fucking lie.” Vanjie crossed his arms. He didn’t like to call Brooke a liar, but he refused to let this go. 

“Papi-” Brooke sat up, pulling his legs up under him, Vanjie not even noticing that the blanket had slipped away. “Please-”

“You-” Vanjie poked Brooke’s chest, “are keeping shit from me, and I ain’t cool with it no more. Talk to me.”

“I-” Brooke looked genuinely distressed, his blue eyes filled with worry and Vanjie felt his stomach flip. Normally, Brooke could withstand a hurricane of screaming, his boyfriend barely flinching even when Vanjie was ready to fight. “I can’t tell you-”

“I don’t give a fuck,” Vanjie tightened his grip on Brooke’s hand, the big palm still in his own. “We in it together, and I don’t care what kinda embarrassing shit you hiding-”

“It’s not-” Brooke took a deep breath. “It’s not exactly embarrassing, but I can’t-”

Vanjie raised a brow, not really believing what he was hearing. Brooke constantly did embarrassing and stupid things, his anxiety brain sometimes spiraling completely out of controle. “Tell me.”

“I have a surprise-”

“Hold on up?” That reply was the last thing Vanjie had expected. Brooke never did surprises. Ever. “A surprise?”

“Yes.” Brooke nodded.”The biggest surprise.”

“What kinda surprise?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Fuck off! Does Ange know? Is that why you two've been gossiping?”

“José-” Brooke groaned, tipping his head backwards for a second as he took a deep breath. “This, it’s, this is important-” Brooke sighed, the man so clearly trying to keep it together, “It has to be perfect-”

“I don’t give a shit about perfect.”

“What?” Brooke froze, his eyes going wide.

“Hey? Hot stuff? Why you rebooting?”

“You don’t care about perfect” Brooke looked at him, really looked. “Of course.” Brooke pulled for his hand, turning around and throwing his legs over the edge of the bed, his boyfriend totally naked as he stood up.

“Where you think you’re going? Why you digging through your socks?” Vanjie sat up on his knees, trying to look over Brooke’s shoulder, trying to see what he was doing. “If your cold, put some underwear on you nudist-”

Vanjie was just about to go on a rant, was just about to get out of the bed to actually start yelling at Brooke, when Brooke turned back around, a red velvet box in his hand.

“The fuck-” Vanjie grabbed the blanket, pulling it around himself as he threw his legs over the edge of the bed, “what’s-”

“José Cancel-”

Brooke’s voice was serious, more serious than Vanjie had ever heard it before. He felt his world turn to slow motion as he watched Brooke get down on one knee, the fact that he was naked barely registering to Vanjie’s brain, Brooke holding the box out and opening it up.

“Will you marry me?”

“Wha-” Vanjie’s jaw dropped, his eyes widening, one of his hands flying to his mouth. 

There, right there, right in front of him, was a golden ring on a black pillow. 

“Wha-”

Vanjie couldn’t believe it, couldn’t understand what he had just heard, tears prickling at the corner of his eyes.

“What…”

Brooke had just proposed to him. 

Brooke, his Brooke, his stupid, commitmentphobic, dragging his feet, always causing a fuss, terrified of change and absolutely perfect Brooke had asked him if he wanted to marry him. 

“José-” Vanjie was snapped out of it at the sound of Brooke’s voice, Brooke’s lip between his teeth. “Is, umh, is this a yes? Or a no, or?”

How could the asshole even be in doubt?

“Yes!” Vanjie jumped off of the bed, “Yes!” Vanjie threw his arms around Brooke, hugging him tight, the ring smashed between them. “Holy shit,” Vanjie laughed, tears streaming down his face, “of course it a fucking yes!”

“You’re crying-”

“You’re crying!” Vanjie smiled, tears streaming down Brooke’s face too, a brilliant smile on his lips as well.

Brooke reached up with his free hand, gently wiping the tears away, and then, they were kissing, kissing like it was the very first time.

Vanjie clung to Brooke, his fingers burrowed in his hair, holding so tight it felt like they were melting into one person. They broke apart, Vanjie still sitting in Brooke’s lap, an arm around his waist, holding him close.

“This why you’ve been fucked up?”

“Mmh,” Brooke laughed as he nodded, his face wet with tears, his lips red and swollen from the kiss. “This is my fourth try.”

“Fuuuck,” Vanjie smiled, grinning at the absolute ridiculousness of it all. “For real?”

“Yes.” Brooke blushed, his cheek turning the most adorable shade of pink. “It’s a lot harder than it-“

Vanjie leaned forward, capturing Brooke’s lips again to shut him up, both of them grinning into the kiss until they broke apart again. 

“Wow,” Brooke rested his forehead against Vanjies, the two of them just sitting for a while.

“Umh,”

“Umh what?”

“I didn’t actually-“ Brooke wiggled the ring box, his hand still trapped between them, “do you want?” and Vanjie felt like he had just been hit by a train of happiness.

“Yes! Yes yes yes!”

“Okay okay,” Brooke laughed. “Sorry-”

“Shut up and gimme the fucking ring!” Vanjie couldn’t believe that he had forgotten about the ring, couldn’t believe that he hadn’t insisted on seeing it up close yet.

“Here.” Brooke took his hand, holding it tight as he slipped the gold band on it, Vanjie’s entire body so warm he was afraid he’d burn up.

“It suits you.” Brooke smiled, and Vanjie started crying again, the compliment so sincere, Brooke so obviously excited. 

Vanjie had given up on the idea of marriage, had stopped dreaming that this day would ever come, but here he was, wearing Brooke’s ring, and Vanjie couldn’t remember ever being happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to PoppedTheP for midwifing - I couldn't have done this without you <3


End file.
